Cherry Blossoms and Blood
by KayanaWheeler
Summary: It is a time of war in Japan. Bakura is a samurai. Anzu is a young maiden who works in Bakura's clan. Bakura starts to take interest in Anzu, but will love be able to blossom in such harsh times? And will peace come once more?
1. Fanfic Information

Kaya: Alright, here's a bit of info on _Cherry Blossoms and Blood!_

**Summary (extended):**

In mid 1800's Japan, war is a part of living. Even the most peaceful places can get caught up in all of the fighting and bloodshed. People live with weapons, so they are prepared when attacked, and trust has started to slim down between fellow men and women.

There is a dojo in Kyoto, where the clan Ryuuketsu resides. In this clan, there is a man known as Bakura. He is the most talented assassin in all of Japan, and many fear to be put on his hit list. Also in this clan is a young maiden named Anzu Mazaki. She works as a maid of the dojo. Bakura pays little mind to her, but after he saves her from getting murdered by a man from the Ryuuketsu's rival clan, Kuragari, he starts to get feelings in his stomach that he doesn't understand. Could it be love?

Also, there are many other clans who have their own problems as well. Can the all-female clan _Fujin _climb up in society in the world without men? Can the clan _Yasuragi _stay alive without fighting? Only time will tell.

**Clans:**

_Ryuuketsu – _This is the clan where Bakura, Anzu, and many others reside in. The leader of this clan is Seto Kaiba. This clan specializes in assassins, although they do not send them to kill the innocent, only those who have violated the laws and are criminals. They believe that the only way to justice is to kill the wicked.

_Kuragari – _This clan is the rival clan of Ryuuketsu. The leader of this clan is Yami Motou. This clan contains people like Yugi, Katsuya, and others. This clan believes that criminals should be able to repent for their sins and therefore disagree with Ryuuketsu's beliefs.

_Saikou – _This clan is a power-hungry greedy clan who want to become the most powerful clan in Japan. The leader is Michio Tutsukiru. They are enemies of all other clans.

_Yasuragi – _This clan is a peaceful clan who do not wish to fight without cause. This contains people like Hiroto, Otogi, and others. They do not have any enemies except for Saikou. The leader is Makoto Saniirei. In order to achieve peace, they will fight.

_Fujin – _This is a very unusual clan, as they are all female. The leader of this clan is Mai Kujaku. They are agile, skilled fighters who like teasing their male opponents with flirting.

**Characters:**

_Bakura Ryo – _An assassin who is in the clan Ryuuketsu. He is a very serious man who prefers to fight rather than talk, and he is very down-to-business. Although he thinks emotions make him weaker, he can't help but fall for a certain girl in the clan.

_Anzu Mazaki – _A woman who works for the clan Ryuuketsu. She is a quiet woman who talks little, but she helps out as often as she can and is very kind. She loves cooking and cleaning, and secretly trains with the sword at night.

_Seto Kaiba – _The leader of the Ryuuketsu clan. He is kind but strong, and is very loyal to his loved ones and friends. He puts the lives of them in front of his own, and he loves chirashi sushi.

_Isis Kaiba – _Seto Kaiba's wife. She is a sweet, patient, and loyal woman who cares deeply about the Ryuuketsu clan. She is an exceptional cooker, and hates it when Seto has to goes out to fight.

_Malik Ishtar – _A sly and mischievous man who works for the Ryuuketsu. He loves money, and is slightly blinded by the thought of tons of money. He is one of Bakura's best friends.

_Yami Motou –_ The leader of the Kuragari clan. After nearly being killed by Bakura after trying to convince him that his ethics were wrong, he vows that the only way to stop the Ryuuketsu is to kill them.

_Yugi Motou – _The younger twin brother of Yami. He hates fighting and refuses to fight with the rest of the clan. Yami loves him dearly and cares much for him.

_Katsuya Jounouchi –_ He is a member of the Kuragari clan. Although a goofball and laid-back, he is a talented stealth fighter, which is surprising, seeing as how he's very loud. He has a secret crush on Mai Kujaku, the leader of the Fujin clan.

_Rebekah Hopkins – _A young girl who works for the Kuragari clan. She is an American girl who is smart and tough. She has a crush on a boy in her clan named Yugi.

_Hiroto Honda – _A member of the Yasuragi clan. He is a strong fighter, but doesn't like to fight without cause, which is why Makoto favors him so much. He has a crush on Shizuka Kawaii from the Fujin clan.

_Otogi Ryuuji – _A member of the Yasuragi clan. He used to be favored by Makoto, until Hiroto showed up. He's also jealous that Shizuka Kawaii likes Hiroto, and not him.

_Mai Kujaku – _The leader of the Fujin clan. She is a flirtatious, strong-willed woman who wants Anzu to join her clan. She also has a crush on Katsuya Jounouchi from the Kuragari clan, but won't admit it.

_Shizuka Kawaii – _A member of the Fujin clan. Her name reflects how she is—cute. She is a sweet, bubbly girl who is very optimistic sometimes. She likes Hiroto Honda from the Yasuragi clan.

_Michio Tutsukiru – _The leader of the Saikou clan. He loves seeing money soaked in blood and is very hard on his fellow clan members. He also loves women and is always going after the women of each clan for his own amorous reasons.

_Keiji Hiwayuki – _A clan member of Saikou, he loves nothing more than the feel of his sword going through flesh. He can be very antsy when waiting to kill and is dangerous to hang around.

_Yoki Tsumara – _A clan member of Saikou, he does not trust anyone but himself. He also hates the Yasuragi clan with a passion for their peaceful ways, as he is the exact opposite of them.

_Makoto Saniirei – _The leader of the Yasuragi clan. He is a very peaceful man who thinks that the killings and fights are pointless, and does not wish to take part in them. His fighters are still very skilled and he is friends with all of the clan leaders. He opens up his clan members to opportunities and does not keep them roped to the dojo.

(Please note that these are characters that are mentioned the most within their clans, so do not be surprised if other characters appear that aren't on this list.)


	2. Assassin

Kaya: Here's the first actual chapter of the winning fic!

Sanu: I hope you all enjoy!

Sheekin: Please note that this work of fiction is not an accurate historical writing.

Sanu: You sound like that thing that appeared on the commercials for Samurai Champloo.

Kaya: Which is a great show by the way!

Sheekin: Kaya does not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**X X X**

**Chapter 1 – Assassin **

The era was filled with so much bloodshed; people said "the amount of blood spilled from the fights was a quantity large enough to fill the oceans if they ever were to dry out." The year was 1864, and wars were breaking out everywhere in Japan. Everyone carried weapons with them; men, women, sometimes even children would be spotted with minute daggers or knives. In Kyoto, the capital of Japan, peace was just barely maintained for the people, for the beautiful city was not overcome with war and fighting. There was one good thing that came from the weapon carrying, however. It became so dangerous for thieves and pickpockets that crimes falling under that category dropped to low numbers. The ones who were silly enough to try and steal in the streets most likely were stabbed or killed.

However, in spite of all the chaos, Kyoto citizens were able to live peaceful, if not hectic lives. By day, the streets were filled with busy people, rushing to their jobs or to the store, or to restaurants. By night, stragglers were walking home from work, or going home with any of their unsold wares. No matter what hour, someone would always be walking somewhere.

It was late at night. Three middle-aged men walked out of a late-night restaurant. They were jabbering carelessly and their faces were slightly red from drinking. They were quite loud, but no one was outside to ask them to calm down. For that hour, they were the ones who were to be found walking somewhere. They walked down the street, still talking, and not one of them had enough of their senses intact for them to realize how much they were stumbling down the streets and into a back ally.

A cat slinked down the road, its black ears twitching. Noticing the three drunken men, it dashed up a wall and disappeared into the night. A faint wind rustled a tree nearby. A piece of litter blew across the street, hitting the opposite wall with a crash. The three men did not seem to notice the noise, and stumbled on. They didn't even notice the man up ahead.

He stepped forward, his wooden sandals making a crunching noise against the dirt ground, and only then did the men look up, their eyes unfocused; a result of drinking. "Who's there?" one of the men asked, his voice slurred and slowed. The man, unbeknownst to them, wrapped his hand around a sword hilt at his hip. "Are you three Yuki Takashimi, Takato Utsaragi, and Shin Yayaka?" the man asked, his voice calm but with an air of destruction about it. "Yeah, what if we are?" the man named Takato asked, nearly falling over from his state.

The man did not answer, but after a sharp sound and a flash of silver did the three men know what the man would do if they were indeed the men he wanted. Before they could react, the man extended the arm holding the sword and he ran right through Yuki, splattering blood all over the wall, the ground, and the other two men. They gasped as Yuki's top half falls to the ground, shortly followed by his bottom half. Takato drew his own blade, but only a second after did the man stab him right through the throat, twisting it around until Takato fell, his eyes wide in surprise. Before Shin could react, the man turned around and slashed him right through the head down, splitting him in two.

All of this was done in a matter of seconds.

The clouds moved, departing to other parts of the dark sky, allowing a shining half moon to throw eerie rays down onto the city below. The rays caught the ghastly amount of blood on the ground, causing it to shine like a river of rubies. The rays also hit the man, giving him a physical appearance. He had long, white, untamed hair, and his eyes were fudge brown. He was wearing a two-piece male kimono. The top half was long-sleeved and a dark grey color, while his kimono pants were blacker than the night. A sword sheathe was settled next to his left hip, making him right-handed.

He looked down at the men he had killed with his deep brown eyes. They were all drug dealers who were selling the drugs as medicine, calling them miracle remedies and charging heaps of yen for them. Many of their customers had died from overdosing on what they thought was medicine. He turned from them, his eyes with a look of unfeeling in them as he sheathed his bloody sword. He was the only one who wasn't covered with blood in that ally. He took out a piece of rice paper and tucked it under Shin. He walked off. The paper was a note which explained who the men were and what they had done. Someone would find the body in the morning.

**X X X**

The man walked through the rice paper flap, entering into the dojo through the side doorway. A woman was standing there, bent over a stone fireplace. She turned when she heard the flap open. She saw the man and smiled. "Well Bakura, I never expected you to get home from the job early. Usually it takes you a much longer time killing someone," she said, teasing the man. Bakura did not laugh. He usually never did. "Mistress Kaiba, the three men were out of it when I went to them. They were so drunk they could've died from alcohol poisoning. It took me thirteen point four seven seconds to kill all of them," Bakura replied. "Yes, well, a job well done," Mistress Kaiba said.

Mistress Kaiba, or, more well known as Isis Kaiba, was a beautiful woman in her early twenties. She had an unyielding patient nature that matched well with her looks. She had long black hair and sapphire blue eyes. Her hair was put up in chopsticks. Her clothing was a one-piece kimono; light blue in color, with dragonfly patterns, and a pink and white obi.

Isis sighed and stoked the fire, making sure it wasn't blow out from the wind blowing in through the door flap. "Oh, Bakura, did I tell you the news?" she asked him, straightening up. Bakura shook his head. "No, you did not." A new voice entered the room. "Ah, Isis, telling him the good news already? You always scurry to tell someone as soon as you find a good rumor." Isis and Bakura turned. Bakura immediately bowed. "Master Kaiba," he said, staring at the ground, his back arched. Master Kaiba smiled. "How many times must I tell you to call me Seto? I hate formalities, makes me feel weird," he said.

Seto Kaiba was a well-built man of twenty three who owned the dojo he was standing in right now, the Ryuuketsu clan dojo. His physical appearance was merely short brown hair and ice blue eyes. He wore a two-piece kimono similar to Bakura's. The long-sleeved top was dark brown and had a lighter brown pattern of hexagons on the sleeves. The pants were a forest green color. There was also a sword sheathe by his hip.

"She's already told the entire dojo, but you weren't here, so I don't think you caught the message," Seto said, hugging Isis from behind, resting his head on her shoulder. She giggled. "Oh Seto, must we in front of people?" she asked. Seto purred, rubbing his head against her neck. "Oh, come on, are you embarrassed by me?" he asked jokingly. Bakura narrowed his eyes, meaning he wanted to get down to the point. Isis noticed this and pushed Seto away gently. "I'm pregnant," she said, smiling happily.

"She found out last week, I told her not to tell everyone right away, but I guess she wasn't able to hold it in any longer," Seto said. Bakura nodded. "Congratulations. I hope the baby is born in good health," he said in his regular tone. Seto and Isis knew Bakura too well, however, and they knew he was happy for them, although he never showed his feelings much. Seto hugged Isis again and took the stick she was using to prodding the firewood. "I don't think you should be bending over to much, after it becomes visible you're pregnant, bending over is a very bad idea," he said. Isis rolled her eyes. "Fine then, honey, don't me do anything. I _will_ stay in charge of the kitchen, and if you won't take me out of there alive," she said, brandishing a fake sword. Seto sighed. "Yes dear. Believe it or not, I do want to stay alive," he said.

"What do you want the baby to be?" asked a whole new voice. Seto, Isis, and Bakura turned. The young brunette smiled at the three people.

Anzu Mazaki was a girl of nineteen. She was a shy woman, but she was very helpful. She had short brown hair and aqua blue eyes, and a quiet look on her face. She was wearing a beautiful kimono similar to Isis's. Hers was a black kimono with a red bow obi. A slit traveled up the left side of her kimono all the way up to her knee. She was a maid for the clan, and she was carrying a basket full of wheat with one hand.

"Well, to tell you the truth, I really don't know. I'd love it just the same whether it was a boy or a girl," said Isis. Seto smiled and wrapped his arms around his wife again. "I think I'd love a daughter. That way…she wouldn't have to go out and fight," he said. Isis frowned sadly, and then smiled. "It is alright Seto. Everything's going to be fine," she assured. She looked over at Anzu. "Now, what do you need my child?" she asked. "I was just wondering what I should do with the wheat now I've harvested it," Anzu replied, in her usual quiet and calm voice. "You can put in the kitchens, I'll turn it into bread later," Isis said. Anzu bowed. "Thank you, Mistress Kaiba. I'm sorry for disturbing you, Master Kaiba, Bakura-san," she said, hurrying off.

"Is she always so formal?" Bakura asked. Isis nodded. "We saved her from a whorehouse a few years ago, as you know, seeing as how you were the one who killed the owner for swindling off his customers and her," she said. Bakura nodded. "Yes, I remember. The owner was using Miss Mazaki for his own purposes and stole money from the customers who wanted her, as he would seal Anzu in a room until they left, and of course they wouldn't get a refund." "Yes, and I heard she's still a virgin," said Seto. Isis narrowed her eyes at him. "And how would you know this?" Seto grinned. "I never did any of that, you know that Isis dear," he said. Isis smiled. "You better have not."

Bakura watched them as they began to flirt. He turned around without saying goodbye, and went to his room. He caught another look at Anzu before he entered his room. "Is she always that quiet?" he asked, not even having to look to know someone was in his room.

Malik Ishtar was leaning against a dresser, playing with a bag of coins, which was making jingling noises. His hair was sandy blonde and well groomed; his eyes, a deep purple. His kimono was also a traditional male kimono, with an emerald green top and a pea green bottom. The strap that would hold his sword to his side was intact, yet his sword was missing. It was tucked in a corner of his room.

He gazed over at his friend with a sly smile on his face. "She barely talks to anyone but Isis and her fellow female employees. I reckon she's afraid of us men, with our occupation and all." "Then why was she so formal to me before?" asked Bakura, walking over to Malik, sitting next to him. "She's formal to everyone. You should hear her during rounds. 'Yes, Malik-san', 'of course, Master Tanaka', 'There you are, Uro-san.' The only ones she doesn't talk to formally are her fellow workers, and she still is as polite as ever. I'm surprised she hasn't run away from this place. I never thought her fragile little body would be able to stand the sight of blood-covered samurai or dead corpses, but she's handled it quite well," said Malik, twirling the money pouch using his finger, making loud tinkling noises. "So, how did the three drug swindlers go? Did you polish them off easily? Judging by your clothes, they didn't even put up a fight. Either that or y—" Malik was cut off by a sharp sound, then a ripping sound, then the sound of his coins flying everywhere, due to his money pouch being split in half.

Bakura's sword was drawn, and he had apparently sliced the pouch in two while Malik was talking. Malik looked at him questioningly. "The noise was getting on my nerves," Bakura said simply, getting up. "Clean this up," he said, walking out of the room. Malik rolled his eyes. "Yes, Your Highness," he joked, glad Bakura wasn't there to hear him. "I'm supposed to be in bed soon anyway, I've got to get my gambling wages from Sorgaki. If he's swindling, he's not getting away so easily…"

**X X X**

"I think that's all you need to do for today Anzu. Have a good night's sleep," Isis said, gathering up the empty basket and putting it on the wash table. Anzu bowed, nodding. "Thank you Mistress Kaiba," she said, leaving the kitchen through a sliding rice paper wood-paned door, and into the center courtyard of the dojo. She walked down the outside hall and down to her room. The moon shone even brighter down onto the dojo, illuminating the pond and giving the whole courtyard a sense of warmth. She turned the corner and walked to the other side of the dojo, where the sleeping quarters were.

Anzu opened the flap to her room, bit of the light from the moonbeams leaking through the rice paper wall and into the room. She crossed over to the vanity and opened up a drawer, pulling out a comb. She began to work the needles of the comb through her short hair, while cicadas made their melodious little sounds outside. After her hair was done with, she put everything away and walked over to her dresser. Opening it, she took out a sword sheathe of black, with silver trimming. Pulling out the sword inside, the blade was sharp on only one side, and it was slightly curved at the top. The hilt was black, trimmed with tiny blue sapphires. She had taken it from one of the many rooms on the other side of the dojo.

She walked out of her room and back to the other side. She entered a large room with plenty of airspace. The sheathe was at her hip, the sword back in its holder. She closed her eyes, pulling out the sword. She opened them, and slashed the air in front of her. Pretending an enemy was behind her, she turned around with the sword, slicing through the imaginary enemy. Just for fun, she had someone jump down from a tree at her. With lightning speed, she held the sword straight up in the air, causing the person jumping down to be a human steak skewer.

After about an hour of practicing, it was well into the night, past midnight. Anzu was sweating. She sheathed the blade and walked to the rice paper wall that led outdoors. Bits of wind snuck through the paper and cooled off her face. Hopefully, no one would catch her practicing, as she was sure it wasn't allowed for the maids to be playing around with swords. She closed her eyes, letting the breeze envelop her head, so she could cool down and top perspiring. There was a creak behind her. Anzu turned.

The man was unfamiliar to Anzu. She knew every man in the dojo, their appearance, their mannerisms, and this was not a man she knew. They stared at each other for a little while. Anzu took a step back, carefully reaching for the sword at her hip. Before she could draw it, however, the man's sword was already out and bearing over her. She jumped out of the way, narrowly dodging the man's blow, which left a large welt in the floor. Her heart was racing. She had never been in an actual battle before. She scrambled up, avoiding another blow from the man. She drew her sword, but the man did a fancy maneuver and knocked the sword right out of her hands. He stepped forward, ready to strike her, she panicked, and screamed.

"Shut up wench!" the man said, slashing at her; Anzu's black sleeve barely escaped being cut right through as she ran backwards, away from him. She hit the wall, then threw herself to the right when the man jabbed his sword at her, sending it through the wood and deep into the wall. The man cursed as he tried to recover his sword from the wood. Anzu considered running, so she ran backwards after getting up, and slammed right into Bakura.

It all seemed to happen so fast. One minute, Anzu was staring up at Bakura with a look of fright on her face; the next, she's sprawled on the ground, and the man who had attacked her was sprawled on the ground in a pool of blood, plenty of stabs everywhere on his body. Bakura's sword was dripping blood, coating over the dried blood from his latest kill. She sat up, shaking, her heart pounding in her chest from the thought of death. Bakura turned slowly to look at her. His eyes were full of confusion and irritancy, but he spoke in his normal, calm voice. "What happened?" Anzu merely turned her head, away from the assassin. "What happened?" Bakura asked again, not moving from his spot. Anzu finally spoke, her voice small and shy. "I was doing something in here…and he attacked me," she said quietly.

Bakura sheathed his still-bloody sword, and noticed the other sword lying on the floor in the corner. Soon after, Malik, Seto, Isis, and a few other members came running into the room, hearing the scream. "What on earth happened here!" Isis shrieked, seeing the dead body. "She was attacked, and I killed the intruder," Bakura said, pointing at the casualty. "Can you identify the man?" Seto stepped closer to the dead man, kneeling over him. "Ah, I've seen him before! On one of my meetings with the leader of the Kuragari clan, he caught my eye," Seto confirmed. "So, he's part of the Kuragari clan then? Damn filthy bastards, attacking a defenseless woman. I bet they weren't even after Anzu in the first place, most likely one of the samurai," Malik said. "Will they be informed that one of their numbers isn't coming back?" Isis asked. "Actually, this one is going back. Just, not exactly in a lively manner," Seto said, nudging the body with his foot. He turned to two of the samurai. "Tanaka, Keikia, go and leave this man on the front steps of the Kuragari dojo, so that they may find him in the morning." They nodded and bowed. "Yes Master Kaiba!" They grabbed the body and let, the blood dripping off of the corpse and onto the outdoor hall.

"Someone's going to have to clean that up," Malik said, sighing and taking out a handkerchief. "Anybody else covered in blood?" He scanned the room. Bakura and Anzu were clean. Anzu gasped. If they found the sword, they would know she was practicing with a weapon. She looked over to where the sword was. It was gone. She gasped again and looked over at Bakura. One of his hands was drawn into his kimono sleeves, as if he was hiding something. She stared at him in amazement. He only had seconds to retrieve and hide the sword while no one was looking.

**X X X**

The sun shone high in the sea of the heavens, casting light throughout the world. At this time, people were busily hurrying along the streets of Kyoto, off to work or other laces. People find three bodies lying on the street, one with a hole in his neck, the other with his body split in two, and one with his upper lying under his bottom half. There is a letter tucked under of the men. Also in Kyoto, a man is found dead on the steps of the dojo of the Kuragari clan.

"So, they killed him before he had the chance to find his target?" Yami Motou asked.

He was the leader of the Kuragari clan. He was a handsome man with spiked tri-color hair of black, red, and blonde, with blonde bangs. His eyes were a violet color. He was wearing a dark blue male kimono, with a longer top that was open. Another layer of kimono was under his dark blue top, which was the same color. His pants were midnight blue.

"Yes, it seems so," said another clan member. Yami sighed. "You may go, Fujitima. Clean up the body and bury him." Fujitima bowed. "Yes Master Motou!" he exclaimed, hurrying off. Yami put a hand to his head and groaned. "I thought we had him this time—damn you, Bakura!" "You are always damning Bakura, aren't you?" said another voice, a much younger voice. A slightly short young man walked into the room. He looked exactly like Yami, but with a younger complexion and with a lighter blue kimono. Yami smiled warmly at his younger brother. "Konnichiwa Yugi," he said. "Konnichiwa, Yami. I saw the body when I went outside to go to the market. Was it Bakura's doing?" he asked. Yami nodded. "I wish the man would stop his senseless murder! It's called repentance, apparently he's never heard of it, and if he has, he's never given the ones on his hit list the chance!" "Speaking of his hit list, three more bodies turned up this morning in a back ally. There was a note saying they were drug swindlers," Yugi said. "Was it Bakura's work?" Yami asked. "Well, Bakura doesn't really have any _work,_ he kills in whatever way he can, he doesn't do something special to kill them; but yes, it was. Bakura usually leaves those little notes for people and a note was found."

"Why won't you let me take care of him? I bet I could wipe the floor with this so-called great swordsman," said a female voice from out of nowhere. Yugi turned, and Yami looked up. "Rebekah, I'm not going to let you go after a dangerous assassin," Yami said.

Rebekah Hopkins was an American-born girl who came overseas a few years ago. She applied to work in the Kuragari clan as a maid, but she acted as if she were a samurai of the clan. She had long blonde hair and light blue eyes, which were hidden behind glasses. She was wearing a kimono geared toward younger girls. She was wearing a one-piece kimono with short-sleeves and a short bottom that went down to her knees. The kimono had a checkered pattern of mint-green and white with a thin mint green bow obi. There was a dagger sheathe by her waist, and she was pretty agile in using it.

Rebekah grinned, and in a flash, she pulled out her dagger and threw it into the wall, hitting a target dead-on and causing it to split in two. She retrieved the dagger and winked at Yugi, sheathing it. Yugi smiled at her, and Yami chuckled. They were both fifteen, and quite smitten with each other. She turned to leave, and suddenly her glasses came off, and she fell forward, shrieking. "Rebekah, are you ok?" Yugi asked, stepping towards her. There was a chuckling sound, and Katsuya Jounouchi walked out from behind a vase, holding a pair of glasses in his hand. "Sorry, I was jus' practicin' and li'l Rebekah happened to be there," he said. Rebekah pouted, but she was giggling. "Oh Katsuya, no one can match your stealth, can they?" Katsuya grinned. "Nah, can't see anyone even tryin'."

Katsuya Jounouchi was a tall, kind of skinny guy with short blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes, sporting a puppy-like face. He was wearing a male kimono with a crimson red top and dark red pants. Although he was usually a laid-back guy, he was a very dangerous opponent, as he used stealth, or silent and fast movement, to bring an advantage over an enemy. He used to work as a fighter-for-hire until he joined up with the Kuragari clan, looking for work. At first he was just a messenger, but during a raid on the dojo and his show of amazing ability, he was turned into a samurai.

"Well, I suppose you saw the body," Yami said with a sigh, after Katsuya returned Rebekah's glasses. "Yeah, I saw dat mess. Lemme guess; it was Bakura," said Katsuya with a frown. "Yes, and I fear Seto Kaiba won't be too happy about the attack either," Yami said, his hands cupped. "Ah well, nothin' we can do about it. Let's just get back to whateva it was we was doin'." "Alright, and next time Katsuya?" "Yeah, Master Motou?" "Don't ruin a romantic scene between Yugi and Rebekah." "…BIG BROTHER!"

**X X X**

**Obi – **sash tied around a female's kimono, used to keep the kimono closed and also adds support for the breasts.

Kaya: Ok, I lied; there is some humor in this fic, but this is just the beginning! Believe me, as the fics go by, humor will become scarcer!


	3. Talks of Love

**I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.  
****Please note that this work of fiction is not an accurate historical writing.**

**X X X**

_**Cherry Blossoms and Blood**_

**Chapter 2 – Talks of Love**

"I see. So, the war between clans is spreading. Is it true the Hirotezu, Shukumei, and Getoku clans have all left their dojos and gone to fight in the war?" a man asked, looking down at his messenger.

The man had short and spiky brown hair, with pale grey eyes. He was wearing a male kimono the same type as Yami Motou's, the top being white, and the bottom, a grey that matched his eyes. He was wearing a tan shirt underneath the kimono top he had on. His name was Makoto Saniirei, the leader of one of Kyoto's largest clans, the Yasuragi.

"It seems that many cities have been lost in flame," said the messenger. Makoto sighed sadly, and then waved his arm at the messenger. "You may go, Hitoshi," he said.

Hitoshi left the middle-aged man to his thoughts. Makoto leaned back against his dresser, rocking back and forth. _So many clans will be wiped out if this war continues…no one listens to me, they think I am a joke of a leader, just because I refuse to fight in this foolish war. Sooner or later, all of the clans in Japan will face each other off, and they will realize, while they are being slaughtered mercilessly, that I was right. But, there is nothing I can do, and until then, I must keep my clan in good shape, just in case raids befall my dojo,_ he thought.

Down the hall from his room, two best friends were having a little sword fight.

Otogi Ryuuji jumped backwards, dodging a slash aimed at him. He fell backwards, nearly falling on a vase, and a wooden sword was pointed directly at his throat. He growled, an evil look on his face, but then, he grinned, moving the sword's wooden blade out of his way. "Alright, Hiroto, you win," he said, standing up.

Said man was a handsome, well-built guy. Hiroto Honda had brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a two-piece male kimono, with a short-sleeved dark green top, and a black baggy bottom. His real sword was fastened well to his hip.

Otogi Ryuuji had black hair that he tied up in a ponytail. His eyes were a majestic emerald green, with a small black slash marking traveled down his eye. One ear was pierced with two silver earrings. He wore a three-piece male kimono with an open dark red kimono top, an off-white short-sleeved shirt underneath, and black kimono shorts. His sword was resting by the wall.

Hiroto smiled. "Oto, you really need to shape up. When I first came here, I was never able to beat you," he said, throwing the wooden sword to the side and sitting down on his knees, perspiring slightly from the practice fight. Otogi rubbed his eyes, shaking his head. Earlier, Hiroto had delivered a rather painful blow to his head, causing to lose focus slightly. "Well, that's because you weren't under training of the best leader in the world, Makoto Saniirei," he replied, rubbing his head. "Yeah, but now I'm in his favor to become the next Master of this dojo. He doesn't have any living relatives, so he has to pick the man who he sees fit to be the next leader. Who would've thought he'd favor me?" Hiroto replied. Otogi smiled halfheartedly. "Oh come on, you're _perfect_ for the job. You're a great fighter and you're smart," he said, with a slight icy sound to his voice. Hiroto gave his best friend a strange look. "Yeah, but I would think you're the best one for the job. But, it's the Master's decision, not mine," he said kindly.

Otogi merely looked away, and the room filled with silence for a few minutes, until the black-haired man spoke up. "Anyway, did you hear about the attack the Kuragari clan brought upon the Ryuuketsu clan? They only sent one man to kill that one assassin, Bakura Ryo. How foolish are they? The guy killed three people yesterday, and it doesn't even look like they even put up a fight." Hiroto leaned back against the wall. "Yeah well, he probably didn't give the guys a chance. I heard they were drug swindlers anyway." "Yeah, but Master doesn't approve of their deaths. He said that they should have been turned over to the police, not killed. But he also disagrees with Yami Motou sending people to kill Bakura," Otogi said. "Oto, Master is a non-violent person. His wife and three sons were killed by thieves who were seeking revenge on him for giving their crime locations to police. Ever since then he just doesn't like blood," Hiroto said.

Otogi was taken aback. "What?" he asked Hiroto, a confused look on his face. Hiroto chuckled. "You mean he didn't tell you? A few days after he pronounced me to be in his favor as becoming the next Master to the dojo, he told me about his wife and children. I would've thought he'd told you, seeing as how you've been here longer." Otogi shook his head. _No one ever told me about that! How...how could Master tell him but not me? He didn't even tell me when he favored me! But after Hiroto came, and he was trained up a bit, I lost favor and he gained it. But why didn't Master tell me! …Oh, this is nothing to get angry over. I'm Hiroto's best buddy, I'm proud of him. But I'm still jealous, _he thought.

Otogi decided to change the subject. "Uh…so, any luck with the ladies?" he asked, grinning. He and Hiroto always talked about women in their spare time. His fellow clan members didn't like talking about women much, and when Hiroto came, Otogi was relieved to find out that he was a bit of a pervert as well.

Hiroto laughed. "The only luck I've had with those things is at the house," he said. "When did you go to the house, and why wasn't I informed?" Otogi asked. "It was two weeks ago, and you were busy spying for the Kuragari clan. I wanted to pay one of those women off for you, but the owner of the place said his women weren't takeout, you had to eat them there, so you were outta luck on that." Otogi sighed. "Ah, well, I'm trying on that anyway. I've got a girl in my radar," he said. "Is it the one woman who cleans the rooms? Because she's quite a fox," the brown-haired man asked. "No, my friend, but you are correct—she is quite a hottie. No, the woman I'm talking about isn't even part of this clan," his black-haired friend replied. "Really? Sounds a lot like the woman I like. But you go first," Hiroto said, sounding interested. "She's part of the Fujin clan, you know, the clan with all female members. Her name's Shizuka Kawaii," said Otogi. Hiroto gasped. "The one with the long orange hair and the amber eyes?" "Yeah, that's the one. She's probably the hottest chick I've ever seen," Otogi said. Hiroto burst out laughing, falling over. Otogi glared at him. "What's so funny? She is hot!" he declared. Hiroto took a deep breath, trying not to laugh. "I…I like her too!" he said, nearly choking with laughter.

Otogi's heart skipped a beat. "What?" he asked. Hiroto swallowed some more laughter and managed to sit upright. "Well, you hear me. I like her too! When I was sent to their dojo to clear up some business with them, Shizuka was also in the room, and I could barely talk when I saw her! She's quite the girl," he said. Otogi growled. "Well, I've known her longer, so back off," he said. Hiroto stared at his friend, shocked. "Ok, ok, jeez Oto. You don't have to get all competitive. Besides, you've known her longer, so she probably likes you already. Calm down," he said. Otogi's frown slipped off his face. "Yeah, sorry about that bud, it's just I don't want to lose to you again," he said, laughing. Hiroto cocked his head. "Lose to me again? Are you talking about the fight we just had?"

Otogi's eyes widened slightly. _He can't be serious! Don't tell Master didn't tell him that I was the favored one before him! He probably didn't want Hiroto trying to discourage him from making him the next Master, saying that I should be the next one, not him. Damn, Master is too nice for his own good sometimes._

A man poked his head into the room. "Honda, Master has requested your presence for a meeting with the Dinsu clan," he said. "Really? Me? I'm not important enough to go to one of those meetings, Hibachi," Hiroto pointed out. Hibachi shook his head, grinning. "No clue. Hiroto, you're in favor to him, he wants you to start your training for your Mastership immediately!" Hiroto grinned. "Really? Awesome, he must have already decided! But I don't feel like I can do this job…I'm coming!" he added as a response to Hibachi's impatient clicks of his tongue.

Hiroto flicked his sword's hilt and turned his head towards Otogi. "See you later Oto," he said, leaving the room with Hibachi. Otogi held up a hand as a goodbye. _And to think, that could have been me going to that meeting right now. I'm telling you, Hiroto, you are one lucky bastard._

**X X X**

"Don't forget to give your leader my message. Now, big boy, kindly get out of my face before I have to kill you," an amused and honey-glazed voice said to a man with a slash across his face and shoulder. The woman who had spoken let go of his ear and kicked him. "Get going, stupid fool! Tell Michio that I'd rather marry a dead hog than him. And if he sends his goons like you after any of my fellow women, I'll pay him a little visit myself," she said, slashing the air with her sword as a threat. The man, stumbling from his wounds, ran towards the entrance of the dojo, trying to get out of there as fast as possible, leaving large drops of blood as he went. Mai Kujaku stared sadly at the blood spots. "Great, and I just had the front grounds looking splendous, and what does he do? Ruin it."

Mai Kujaku was the leader of the Kyoto clan Fujin, a clan famous for being the only clan in Japan with all-female members. Mai had long blonde hair that was very wavy and bushy, that went down to her hips. She had violet eyes. She was wearing a very fashionable kimono, as she loved dressing as sexily as she could. The kimono was a royal purple color. The bottom half of the kimono was two different sizes—the left half was long and went down to her ankle, while the other half was very short and showed off her slender right leg, stopping just over her kneecap. She did not wear an obi; she wore a dark purple cloth belt instead, which hung diagonally from her hip. She wore an amethyst ankle bracelet on her revealed leg, and a necklace choker with dark purple stones set in the chain.

Mai withdrew her hands into her kimono sleeves and walked back into her dojo. Everyone she passed bowed respectfully towards her, and the young leader replied with smiles. She entered the meeting room and the council gave her a few impatient looks. "What took you so long?" asked Tomoyo Ichikazu, the messenger for the clan. "I had some dirt to clean up," Mai replied, raising her bloodstained sword out of its sheathe very slightly. Reiko Kitiyura giggled. "Those freaks from the Saikou clan again?" she asked. "Naturally," Mai replied, sitting down next to her advisor. "Alright, Shizuka, what did I miss?" "Nothing really, we just started when you had to leave."

Shizuka Kawaii had long orange-red hair, and large amber eyes. She was wearing a fancy kimono herself. The color was a citrus orange color. One of the sleeves was long, the other short. The front of her kimono was very short, around twelve inches long, whereas the back went halfway down past her knees. Her bow obi was a burning orange color, and the long sleeve of her kimono was decorated with white bubbles, as was the front part of the bottom half of her kimono.

"Good, I hate having people repeating what they say," Mai said, sitting down. "So, how are those clan friendships going?" she asked, turning towards Hana Karamoto. "Well, the Shukumei, Getoku, and Hirotezu clans have left for the war," she replied. Mai groaned. "Why is everyone leaving for that stupid war? They'll all just come back with half of their men gone, and no one would have accomplished anything," she said. Shizuka sighed. "I liked the Getoku clan, the men there were always so nice to me," she said. Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's just because they were checking out your goods." Shizuka blinked. "What do you mean?" she asked. Hana and Reiko giggled. "She's not very educated in love talk, is she?" Mai shook her head, annoyed. "I have no time to be teaching all of you about love talk. Now can we get back to business?" Hana stopped giggling, but still had a grin on her face. "Yes, well, we still have tight connections with the Sono, Kurayamei, Yasuragi, Mikayo, Ryuuketsu, and Kuragari clans." Mai sighed with relief. "Perfect, at least we know they won't be going anywhere anytime soon. They think this war is just a bunch of crap also."

The meeting ended close to sundown. The cooks were preparing dinner, and the girls were hurrying to the dining room. Mai and Shizuka walked there together. "I can't believe this war is growing. A whole bunch of cities in have already turned to ash because of this pointless fighting," Mai said, looking angry. "Yes, well, soon they'll realize the errors of their ways and come back, hopefully before their clans are half dead," Shizuka said. "You are always the optimistic one," Mai said, entering the dining room with her best friend.

Mai took a seat at the head of the low table, sitting on her cushion with her knees tucked under her bosom. Shizuka sat next to her, separated by a flimsy corner. The council sat closer to the leader, while the other members sat at the other end of the table. As the cooks brought out the food, everyone lapsed into conversation.

Mai picked up her chopsticks and began to pick the shrimp out of her double shrimp ramen. "So, Shiz," she said, plopping a fat shrimp into her mouth, "Got any men on your mind lately?"

Shizuka ate some fine white rice, smiling. "I'm not sure. There's this one boy who I know has had his eye on me ever since we met," she said, swallowing the white delicacy and starting on her beef. Mai closed one of her eyes in a sort of long wink, and watched Shizuka, meaning she was interested. "Really? Which clan is he in?" she asked the redhead. Shizuka swallowed a chunk of beef. "He's from the Yasuragi clan. Otogi Ryuuji."

Mai let out a laugh. "Really! Well, you sure attract the best guys! He's quite the looker," she said, eating massive amounts of ramen noodles. Shizuka flushed slightly. "But, I don't really like him that way," she said. "And why not? I think he's perfect for you," Mai said through a mouthful of ramen. Shizuka frowned in thought. "He's not my type," she said. Mai raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you say that?" "Well, he's really reckless, for one, I mean, he always loves fighting and picking fights, and instead of solving a simple argument with words he always resorts to his sword. Also, he's kind of a slob."

Mai rocked back and forth, thinking. "I suppose you have a point there, hon. Well, any others guys drooling over you that you think are decent enough for you?" she asked. Shizuka finished her rice. "Well, not to long ago Yasuragi recruited a new member, and he seemed to like me. He could barely speak during that meeting, Tomoyo thought he had some sort of vocal disorder," she said. Mai chuckled. "I remember that guy, Honda right?" "Yes, his name was Hiroto Honda. When he was able to talk, he seemed like a very sweet and smart guy," Shizuka said. Mai nodded. "I'll have to check up on this Hiroto guy. Hopefully I can plan another meeting with Yasuragi soon, so you can see him," she said, finishing her ramen and beginning to drink the soup part of it. Shizuka looked surprised. "You can't honestly set up a meeting just so I can spy on Hiroto!" she said, flushing. Mai narrowed her eyes and smiled slyly. "Oh really, hon? Just watch me."

**X X X**

"I will not have this discussion with you," Bakura said simply, turning away from his friend. "Oh, come on Bakura, you have to at least pretend you have emotions. And one of those emotions is called love. Don't tell me you haven't found a girl who you like!" Malik exclaimed, sipping his bowl of miso soup. "I haven't," Bakura sad in his trademark calm tone. Seto was sitting at the head of the table, a table corner away from Bakura. He was stuffing his mouth full of chirashi sushi, his favorite type of sushi. "Oh c'mon Bakura, I know you've got a crush somewhere in that assassin heart of yours," the brown-haired clan leader said quite audibly, despite his mouth being full to the brim with sushi and egg bits. "I do not," Bakura said again, his voice not changing the slightest.

However, this he was not sure of. Whenever approaching a certain woman, he would seem to lose a slight bit of his stature, yet it was so unnoticeable the woman wouldn't even notice. He had done this woman great favor, which was quite unlike him. If someone was doing something Seto didn't allow, he would have reported it. Yet, when he realized Anzu was in that room because she was practicing the sword, he grabbed the blade and his it up his sleeve before anyone could notice. Why he did this, he did not know…yet, ever since that day, he has wanted to talk to her about it, yet he never was able to speak around her.

Malik eyed him carefully, sipping his soup quietly. "Come on, damnit, make some sort of body hint so we can figure out who your secret crush is already!" he said. Seto snorted, nearly chocking on his tea. Isis, who was also seated at the head of the table next to her husband, giggled. "You men are awfully clueless when it comes to love. Malik, can you honestly not tell whom the boy likes?" she asked. "Hey, I'm not clueless! I know that Seto loves you," Malik said. Seto rolled her eyes and looked down at Isis's slightly larger belly. "Well, I wonder how you figured that," he said. Malik shuddered. "Don't remind me _how_ exactly Isis got pregnant," he said. Bakura merely blinked. "It is not something that should be discussed during dinner," he said. Isis blushed. "You men think about sex too much. Just remember, there will be none of that type of talk when my baby arrives," she said.

Malik and Seto laughed. "Anyway, who does Bakura like?" he asked. Isis smiled, and Bakura's eyes darted toward her. "Well, you'll have to figure that out on your own," she said, depositing a sweet potato chunk into her mouth. "Come on Isis! For me, your beloved Malik?" he begged. Isis and Seto raised their eyebrows at the sandy-blonde man.

Anzu sat at the table, eating her rice quietly. Malik sighed when he looked at her. "She looks so calm…yet she also looks kind of sad at the same time. She's the only one who isn't talking to someone else." Isis sighed. "The poor dear just isn't very open at the moment. Her own parents sent her to a whorehouse against her wishes because they couldn't afford her, and after they died, Anzu felt so alone and betrayed. It's a good thing we got her out of there. But still, she probably is afraid to trust us, probably worried we'll just break her heart if we send her away. She still thinks she's just here temporarily," the black-haired woman said.

"In a way, she's like Bakura, except Bakura wasn't betrayed by his parents and he trusts us all with his lives," Malik said. Bakura nodded and cast a look at Anzu. Isis merely stood up. "Well, I think dinner is over," she said to the clan members. "If you aren't finished eating, stay and eat up, because me and the other ladies didn't make this food to be wasted."

Laughs rang around the room and people began to leave with their friends; others stayed to finish their portions. Bakura, Malik, Seto, and Isis stood up. "Well, we have to make sure no one tries to attack Bakura again tonight," Seto said. "Anzu dear, come over here please," Isis called. The brunette turned around. She was walking alone. She walked over to the small group. "Yes Mistress?" she asked. "I want you to stay in your room tonight. I don't want anyone attacking you again. Your safety is one of my top priorities and I would be heartbroken if you were killed," said Isis. Anzu smiled slightly. "Thank you, Mistress," she said, bowing and rushing off.

"Does she always have to bow? I should tell her to not be so polite," Isis said. Seto put his kimono sleeves together. "Yes well, it's nice to have a very sweet girl like her around," he said, sighing. "I think I'll have to go over to the Kuragari dojo and tell them to stop attacking my assassins," he said. "Are you mad Seto? Remember, Yami Motou has sent men to kill you in the past," Isis said. "You'll be walking into a death wish if you go there!" "Yes, Isis, but Yami Motou is not a fool. He doesn't try to kill me whenever he gets the chance; he plans out his attacks with deep thought. He would never attack me during a meeting; that is an extreme violation of their clan's code," Seto said. "Ah, that reminds me. I need to send Taka, Shurihime, and Ishtar on an assignment," he remembered.

"Finally, I get to be in some of the action! It's been a week and a half since my last dispatch. So, who are the criminals we get to kill?" Malik asked. "A crime ring of gamblers. When they gamble, the people opposing them either win or lose, of course. Then they kill the unfortunate gamblers and take all of their money. So, we decided to take matters into our own hands," Seto said. "Sounds like fun," Malik said.

**X X X**


End file.
